INANGAHUA.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 857, 5 September 1871, Page 2

INANGAHUA.

(FEOM OtTB OWN COBBESPONDENT.) Reefton, August 29. The chimneys here, owing to the preseut heavy freight on goods, are all constructed of wood ; and, as usually happens in such a case, a bright light offciines illumines the town at night a phenomenon which the old identity understand tj mean " a chimney is on fire." Now the buildings lately constructed are of value, and the inhabitants of Reefton think it high time to put a stop to Such unpleasant illuminations, accordingly a letter has been sent to Dr Giles upon the subject, and is aB follows : Reefton, August 24. To Joseph Giles, Esq., Resident Magistrate, Westport. Sib,—We, the undersigned, householders of the 'town of Reefton, Inangahua, being desirous, before the dry weather commences, of having some legal protection for our property against the probabilities of a fire break-, ing out within the precincts of the town of Reefton by the present exclusive use of wooden chimueys, respeefully urge upon you the desirability of having proclaimed, at as e.irly a date as possible, the provisions of the Constabulary Force Ordinance, wherein it is enacted that a certain penalty attaches to the person who may allow his chimney to catch fire, and on the provisions of that ordira ice becoming law within this township, we are convinced that every householder will at once see the economy and necessity of getting the present wooden chimneys replaced by those made of zinc, or iron.—We are, Sir, &c.

It is to be hoped, therefore, that his Worship will get this ordinance proclaimed as soon as possible; and as the householders have so politely asked to be fined whenever they should deserve it, that his Worship will not, when occasion demands, forget to inflict, upon the deserving the highest penalty with costs. I have now to revert to a subject that has caused a considerable amount of annoyance to different residents here, viz; the practice of the postmaster at Greymouth, or some one in his department, of forwarding letters and newspapers, addressed " Reefton, Inaugahua, Buller. New Zealand," to the Ahaura, from whence a news agent has the luxury of bringing them here and charging, for each letter, one shilling, and sixpence ;ibr each newspaper. Now people are very much obliged to the news agent for his kindness but feel it an unjust tax to be required to pay these high prices for what ought to have been sent via Westport free of charge. Some fifteen or twenty letters find their way to Keefton in this manner every week, but, after this week, if the postmaster at Greymoutb, or ather person belonging to his department, should continue this irregularity, we shall begin to find fault with Mr Winstauley, who has the power, by report of the matter to Wellington, to summarily put a stop to this extortion on the public. I have abundant proof of what I now write and I have now in my possession a score of envelopes bearing the postmarks of Melbourne, Greyuiouth, Hokitika, Nelson, and elsewhere. Cooney and party, who, some short time ago, took up a frontage claim adjoining Adam Smith's prospecting claim, have struck the reef with prospects fully equal to that of any claim on that Hue of reef. The reef struck by Cooney bears east and west, while that of Smith's runs north and south ; they are, however, evidently one and the same, the stone aud quality of gold being the same. There are now 12 claims, viz ', Shiels's, prospecting claim; Anderson's, do.j Adam Smith's do ; No. 1, North, Paddy Hunt's (Shiels's line of reef) ; No. 1, South, Band of Hope ; No. 1, JNortb, Kelly's claim, (Kelly's line of reef) ; Nos. 2 and 3, Rhody Byau's; Shiel's, Victoria; Company; Newton's claim; J. G. Walsh's claim; Kennedy's claim, (Smith's reef) ; Cooney's ; proved and fouud payable, waiting until enterprising capitalists will be persuaded to come and inspect them, aud form their own opinions as to their being safe investments. As for myself I have half a mind to start a petition to the General Assembly, for presentation by our representative, praying them to cause some practical and experienced person to be sent here, who would write an authentic and official report of inspection, which might go some length to convince the outside world that the Murray Creek Reefs do not resemble those of Wangapeka, Collingwood, or Moonlight, but are what I have, for the last six months, almost in vain, represented them to be—unequalled in the whole colony. Perhaps, however, Mr O'Conor (knowing full well that we all challenge and invite inspection of our mineral wealth) will without the stimulus of a petition, bring forward a motion in the House of Representatives, having for effect the desirability of a report, upon our reefs, being furnished to that august body by Buch a person as Dr Hector, which would, I am sure, result favourably to ourselves, and go a long way to remove that uncertainty of feeling ovidently existing in the minds of the residents of the settled districts ; that it is still a matter of doubt and speculation whether any payable reefs are to be found on the West Coast. This, indeed, might have been done months ago (if our Nelson Executive felt or

evinced the slightest regard fbrtiH goldfields) when Dr H* ctor and Afl Blackett were together at 1 GreymouM deciding upon the rival claims <M Grey mouth and Cobdeft»as to whicl should carry away the prize bi thfl coal mine tail way, but how can wfl expect any other treatment than thifl wo are now receiving, when the PrcH vincial Engineer himself has novel yet put his foot in Reefton or M..JB ray Creek? We all devoutly pralH that a portion' of His Excellency'™ speech may soon be the law of M land—that in which it iB stated thai alterations will be made in the goveral ing powers Of the goldfields, for K M are thoroughly sick, disgusted an<B tired of this long course of mistnanl| agement and neglect which wo have! hitrt received, at the hands of the dignities of Nelson proper. As Boon as the rainy season is over several parties intend to prospect fofj reefs between Reefton, and the Snowy! Ranges, an area of country about twenty miles square. A few have already ascended i,ho right hand branch of the Tuaugahua to its source, ud4 describe the locality as giving eveta indication of enormoiis mineral! wealth. Here nature herself hast given this favoured region every! facility for its speedy there being but one gorge in the river and that only a quarter of a mile in length, so that with an outlay of less than twenty pounds, pack horses could be" taken to the very foot of the hills—a distance of twenty miles. That quartz reefs abound there no one for a moment doubts, and, to crown all, Mr William Fox, the prospector ha 9 been specially invited to pay us a visit, and is daily expected here. The left-hand branch of the Inangahua is a spot nearly unknown, travertine a wild and mountainous district, the very look of which fills the mind with terror—towering snowcapped heights here fill the valleys with darkness, aud solitude reigns supreme. Hardy, iudeed, will be the miner who will first venture through these wastes, and rich should be his reward.

One hundred and ninety>-eight miners have signed the petition to the Superintendent against the granting of goldmining leases > I now furnish you with a copy of it as promised. The wording of the petition is not exactla the thing, but it will let his' Honour Understand that the miners object to every sardiuo merchant on the enasfc leasing 12 acres of auriferous ground because he can. raise a twenty-pound note :

To OsWau) CtTETia, Fsij.) Superintendent of the Province of Nelson and to the Members of the Executive CounCii.:

The memorial of the undersigned) miners, merchants and others, resident iu the Inangahua of the Nelson South-West Goldfieldsj SHEWETH That your memorialists are opposed to your Honour's Government favourably entertaining any recommendation foil .the granting of any and all applications, for a lease or leases of any portion of the quartz-reefs hitherto discovered inthe Inangahua District. That applications, of which there are three in number have .been mack to J. Giles, Esq., Warden of the District, for leases of the foregoing nature, and are to be recommended to your Honour's Government by the Warden, That such recommendation by the Warden cannot be founded on any just or reasonable basis. That your memorialists endeavour to expose to your Honour's Government the grounds of their objections to the granting of Buch leases, and pray that your Honour's Government will consider such objections in their strongest sense. That the referred to applications embrace a very considerable unworked portion of established and fully defined quartz reefs. That on one line of reef, known as Shiels's, two applications for distinct leases exist, and at both extremities of the ground applied for, payable quart* has already been discovered. That on Kelly's line of reef an application has also been made to the ] Warden in the face of the immediately adjoining claim having previously to the date of such application discovered payable quartz-, and were actually employed in crushing their stone. • That there are no reasonable grounds for supposing that the portions of the reefs embraced in these applications would be allowed to remain dormant: as absolute proof is available that the ground applied fof would have long ago been taken upi and worked as ordinary claims, but! could not on account of the existence of the said applications. That the existence of such leases ill the district will be detrimental to th« interests of the mining community and of the district generally; inas ; ; much, that instead of encouraging pri- j Vate enterprise, it yields every induce' ment to capitalists establishing a* monopoly at the cost of the miner of j humble means. Your memorialists therefore prayl that your Honour's Government will,! in taking the matter into its earnestl consideration, not overlook the fact oiß the Murray Creek reefs having beena and so far developed,* through the individual and unassisted 1 efforts, and the indefatigable persever-B ance of miners themselves ; that thereß is no reason for believing that leasefl holders will more materially assist in a furthering the full development of thejß reefs, if it is not actually questionable that they will employ as much even ?*■ one half the amount of labour re"JJ

-quiaite, or that otherwise would be •era ployed ; as also that the ground applied for has neve* at any time been worked, and in 'consideration of 'the above facts and of the dissatisfaction which will be otherwise created among the mining community of thiß pottion of the Nelson South-West GoldHelds, •yoilr Honour will, we trust, with the advice and consent of your Houour's Executive, negative any and all Buch applications, and countenance Only •applications for leasing ordinary •claims, so as to render the title of legitimate •shareholders more valid.. And your memorialists will ever pray, l &c, &c. Tho flood on Friday Was the highest yet known at BeeftOn. Tho river rose 'with great rapidity, evidently caused through the 'inciting of the snow by the warm rain from the North-east, and :soon became levelwith its banks. The wind then fortunately changed to the South-west, or We might possibly have 'found ourselves floatingdewn to your part of the However, I am glad to say that not a sixpence worth of damage was done to person or thing, so Ve have evidently fared better than those living elsewhere up 'country. The 'Contractor 'for the 're-erection of police "quarters has notyettnade his appearance. HoW he intends to complete the Work Within the Specified time, lam at a loss to knew. I suppose he thinks that the good-natured Provincial Engineer will "not be particular to a month Or two. The public, nevertheless, thhlk differently, and so the matter temains, but Only foU the present. The result of a crushing at the dement Company's •michhle last week, 'of nine tonsof stone taken almost hap hazard from Smith's Prospecting claim. Was a little ovei- IGofcs of retorted gold. This is considered satisfactory, and machiuery Will at 'once be purchased and erected.